Bible to be studied

General recommendations to read (for morality and Guidance)

Before 'Abdu'l-Bahá left the Church, he wrote in the old Bible used by generations of preachers, the following words in his own native Persian, the translation being added as follows:

Inscription in the Old Bible

Written by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Persian

THIS book is the Holy Book of God, of celestial Inspiration. It is the Bible of Salvation, the Noble Gospel. It is the mystery of the Kingdom and its light. It is the Divine Bounty, the sign of the guidance of God.

'Abdu'l-Bahá 'Abbás.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London, pp 17-18)

“The first thing to do is to acquire a thirst for Spirituality, then Live the Life! Live the Life! Live the Life! The way to acquire this thirst is to meditate upon the future life. Study the Holy Words, read your Bible, read the Holy Books, especially study the Holy Utterances of Bahá’u’lláh; Prayer and Meditation, take much time for these two. Then will you know this Great Thirst, and then only can you begin to Live the Life!”

('Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. 19, no. 3, p. 69 quoted in Pearls of Wisdom, pp. 44-45 (The Importance of Deepening))

"The truth is that Western historians have for many centuries distorted the facts to suit their religious and ancestral prejudices. The Baha'is should try to study history anew, and to base all their investigations first and foremost on the written Scriptures of Islam and Christianity.

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Lights of Guidance, p. 497)

"The Bahá’is must be informed as to the contents of the Old and New Testaments."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. 22, issue 9, p. 266)

Duty of every Bahá'í to read and comprehend meanings of Old and New Testament

"The Bible and the Gospels are most honored in the estimation of all Bahais. One of the spiritual utterances of His Holiness Christ in his Sermon on the Mount is preferable to me to all the writings of the philosophers. It is the religious duty of every Bahai to read and comprehend the meanings of the Old and New Testament."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. 14, issue 2, p. 55)

The friends and maid-servants should know the real value of the Bible for discovering its significance and hidden mystery

"Thou hast written that thou lovest the Bible. Undoubtedly, the friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful should know the value of the Bible, for they are the ones who have discovered its real significances and have become cognizant of the hidden mystery of the Holy Book."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas, vol. 1, p. 218)

Knowledge of the Gospel Useful for Teaching (its proofs of the Bahá'í Revelation)

“If for example a spiritually learned Muslim is conducting a debate with a Christian and he knows nothing of the glorious melodies of the Gospel, he will, no matter how much he imparts of the Qur’án and its truths, be unable to convince the Christian, and his words will fall on deaf ears. Should, however, the Christian observe that the Muslim is better versed in the fundamentals of Christianity than the Christian priests themselves, and understands the purport of the Scriptures even better than they, he will gladly accept the Muslim’s arguments, and he would indeed have no other recourse.”

“When the Chief of the Exile {The Resh Galuta, a prince or ruler of the exiles in Babylon, to whom Jews, wherever they were, paid tribute} came into the presence of that Luminary of divine wisdom, of salvation and certitude, the Imám Ridá {the 8th Imám}–had the Imám, that mine of knowledge, failed in the course of their interview to base his arguments on authority appropriate and familiar to the Exilarch {“one of a line of Jewish civil and judicial rulers of the exiles in Babylon from about the third to the tenth centuries A.D.” (Webster's Third New International Dictionary, p. 796)}, the latter would never have acknowledged the greatness of His Holiness.”

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 36)

See also

• https://bahai-library.com/zamir/sm/?9 (section 8.B.)

Study the Scriptures word by word to discover their hidden meanings (and Praiseworthiness of studying in meetings)

I have been informed that the purpose of your class meeting is to study the significances and mysteries of the Holy Scriptures and understand the meaning of the divine Testaments. It is a cause of great happiness to me that you are turning unto the Kingdom of God, that you desire to approach the presence of God and to become informed of the realities and precepts of God. It is my hope that you may put forth your most earnest endeavor to accomplish this end, that you may investigate and study the Holy Scriptures word by word so that you may attain knowledge of the mysteries hidden therein. Be not satisfied with words, but seek to understand the spiritual meanings hidden in the heart of the words.”

(Utterances of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 458-459, quoted in Pearls of Wisdom, pp. 40-41 (The Importance of Deepening))

Rear children in accord with the verities of the Gospel and the Most Holy Book

“Child education is a matter of the utmost importance. The infant, while yet a suckling, must receive Baha'i training, and the loving spirit of Christ and Baha'u'llah must be breathed into him, that he may be reared in accord with the verities of the Gospel and the Most Holy Book.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í Education (compilation), no. 46)

Base all investigations foremost on the written Scriptures of (Islám and) Christianity

"The truth is that Western historians have for many centuries distorted the facts to suit their religious and ancestral prejudices. The Baha'is should try to study history anew, and to base all their investigations first and foremost on the written Scriptures of Islam and Christianity."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Lights of Guidance, p. 497)

Need to unravel the mysteries of the Bible/Gospel in the southern states

"Although," Abdu'l-Baha, in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, has written, "in most of the states and cities of the United States, praise be to God, His fragrances are diffused, and souls unnumbered are turning their faces and advancing toward the Kingdom of God, yet in some of the states the Standard of Unity is not yet upraised as it should be, nor are the mysteries of the Holy Books, such as the Bible, the Gospel, and the Qur'an, unraveled. Through the concerted efforts of all the friends the Standard of Unity must needs be unfurled in those states, and the Divine teachings promoted, so that these states may also receive their portion of the heavenly bestowals and a share of the Most Great Guidance."

(Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, pp. 57-58)

See also

• Holy Books to be studied

To-dos for this page

• Add from Star of the West, vol. 22, issue 12, p. 368